Saturday, January 14, 2006

Welcome to the site, which will discuss the impact of diet and other food related information. This will include food news such as Sonoma Diet and structures like food pyramids that would interest you in every possible way - and I trust you will relish the information in terms of the food being taken at present, the modifications you may like to do in the future and an absorption of any relevant information on food and various cuisines cutting across geographical borders.
I am the author of the the article titled Indian's View of Diet - How food habits can make or break a person which was published in 'The Positive Health' magazine published from Portsmouth U.K. It was published in its issue 101 - July 04. I thought it would be nice to start with a published article of mine, which was received well by the esteemed readers of the magazine. I would be gradually posting the contents of the article and as soon as it ends, I would finish it with a --------. Please Hold On! It's just the beginning. After the end of the article, this would further continue with loads of food news. Wish you a Happy reading on food.

Indian's View of Diet- How Food Habits Can Make or Break A Person

There is an Indian saying, which says,

‘A fellow eating once a day is a Yogi’
‘A fellow eating twice a day is a Bogi’
‘A fellow eating thrice a day is a Rogi’

Well, the terms Yogi, Bogi and Rogi may cause confusion, which is explained as follows:
A yogi is a person who leads a calm life with balanced composure in pleasures and adversities. A Bogi is a person who enjoys his life in pursuit of sensual pleasures. A Rogi is a patient who deceives and abuses his body by eating three times a day. Lord Shri Krishna in the divine text Bhagawat Gita says,

Katv-amla-lavanaty-ushna
Tikshna-ruksha-vidhahinah
Ahara rajasyeshta
Dukha-shokamaya-pradah

This means foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning are dear to those in the mode of passion. Such foods cause distress, misery and disease.

This can explain as to how the food habits can make or break a person. This doesn’t certainly mean that one shouldn’t consume food three times a day. At least, the diet can be planned and regularized so that a balanced diet is followed to keep one’s health as fit as a fiddle. Traditional medicine advocates that a light dinner bestows good health since one’s digestive power is strong at the beginning of the day and minimal in the night. The Indian religious system holds ‘Pancha Bhutas’ or the five elements of nature namely Fire, Water, Earth, Gas and Space in high esteem. In fact, these five elements are revered as Gods in the name of Agni, Varuna, Prithvi, Vayu and Akash respectively. All the existence in this world is viewed as the combination of these five elements and food is not an exception to that. In essence, the food what we supply to the body should comprise these elements to have a balanced nutrition. Significantly, the Ayurvedic system of medicine suggests that a disturbance between the Vata (gas), Pitta (bile) and Kapha (Phlegm) is the root cause for the problems arising in the body. Therefore, it’s important that the consumption of food should have spices, juices, minerals, air and space respectively. The space literally means the availability of empty space in the stomach, which implies that food should be consumed in limited quantity and space should be left to balance the aspect of the five elements of the nature.